vlado wrote:
Snort has been doing this type of flying for the past 35 years or so.
(not an endorsement, mind you.)
VL
Having just lost two highly experienced airshow aerobatic pilots in Australia this year due to 'collision with terrain', during aerobatics (in practice, rather than in front of a crowd, thank God) I have to say the (apparent) removal of any margin of error shown in the photo doesn't make me feel particularity comfortable. I can't see what would be wrong with being a bit higher (including people in the crowd being able to see more than a wingtip) and we can all see what would be wrong with being a little lower.
Ray Hanna 'won' the low flying bet by dying in his bed after a half-century plus of low flying, and may be another one of the exceptional pilots - some getting low level waivers or similar. Of course some less talented pilots might try to copy the more talented. There have been many airshow display pilots who were very good but one thing and no margin has removed them.
Ed's post lifted from ASB that Steven mentions:
Quote:
As far as the flying low thing?. I have a surface card and I?m allowed to do it. However, it does not give you the right to be stupid. I have a responsibility to myself, my family, the crowd, and my fellow performers and promoters to be safe. Most of the things you see are really an optical illusion. Speed, curve of the ground, and obstacles, make things seem lower than they really are. But there is no doubt it is close? so I try to be as thoughtful and careful as I can. I am always making adjustments for safety of flight. Trust me? ALL I ever do when I fly air shows is think about not getting hurt or hurting others.
On the same note? all those people who say I?m nuts then hop into their cars and drive down the hi-way doing multiple 3 foot opposing passes with trucks driven by people they?ve never met before. I guess one man?s crazy is another mans sane.
Shipley
Lots of good sense there, and as ever in life it's about risk management - is the risk taken worth it for the benefit gained? Here, unless there's some very funny optics, it's lower than is worth it, IMHO.
I like the saying 'the superior pilot is the one who uses his superior judgement to avoid using his superior skill' - again it's the pilot (and the evaluator's) call on that, not ours.
Of course I'm not a pilot, I don't know Snort, I wasn't there, and normally I'd keep my trap shut - but I'm sick of writing obits for not-quite-as-safe-as-everyone-thought pilots. What I want for Christmas is a safe 2009.
Nice pic!
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